Matthew 27:52

Matthew 27:52 Translations

King James Version (KJV)

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

American King James Version (AKJV)

And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

American Standard Version (ASV)

and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised;

Basic English Translation (BBE)

And the resting-places of the dead came open; and the bodies of a number of sleeping saints came to life;

Webster's Revision

and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised;

World English Bible

The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

English Revised Version (ERV)

and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep were raised;

Definitions for Matthew
27:52

Saints - Men and women of God.

Clarke's Commentary on Matthew 27:52

And the graves were opened - By the earthquake; and many bodies of saints which slept, i.e. were dead, sleep being a common expression for death in the Scriptures.

Barnes' Notes on Matthew 27:52

And the graves were opened - "Graves" or sepulchres were most commonly made, among the Jews, in solid rocks or in caves of rocks. The rending of the rocks, therefore, would lay them open. The graves were opened by this earthquake, but the dead in them did not rise until after his resurrection.

And many bodies of the saints arose - Of course, it is not known who these were, nor what became of them. It is probable that they were persons who had recently died, and they appear to have been known in Jerusalem; at least, had the ancient saints risen, they would not have been known, and would not so soon have been credited as those who had recently died.

Which slept - Which had died. The death of saints is often called "sleep," Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:15.

Wesley's Notes on Matthew 27:52

27:52 Some of the tombs were shattered and laid open by the earthquake, and while they continued unclosed (and they must have stood open all the Sabbath, seeing the law would not allow any attempt to close them) many bodies of holy men were raised, (perhaps Simeon, Zacharias, John the Baptist, and others who had believed in Christ, and were known to many in Jerusalem,) And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, went into the holy city (Jerusalem) and appeared to many - Who had probably known them before: God hereby signifying, that Christ had conquered death, and would raise all his saints in due season.